Drier for electric refrigerators



Hm. 19 1944-. c, D 2,365,526

DRIER FOR ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR S Filed July 10, 1941 2 sheets-Sheet l CULT-:- 2: I221? I I nventor 2 9 Attornej Dec 19, W -i s, c. DEAN 2,365,52fi

DRIER FOR ELECTRIC REFRIGERATORS Filed July 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I mveiztar 64 EN C .DEA N,

Patented Dec. 19, 1944 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE 2,365,526 7 name FOR ELECTRIC nsrmcnna'rons Glen 0. Dean, Loyal], Ky., assignor of one-half to J. S. Greene, Harlan, Ky.

Application July 10, 19 41, Serial No. 401,858

(01. sa-n 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in drlers for electric refrigerators of commerce such as are designed more particularly for commercial The principal object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed, efiicient and readily portable device equipped for attachment to the cooling system of such refrigerators to quickly and positively eliminate moisture therefrom.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying. and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation illustrating my improved drier applied in the circuit of a cooling system, of an electric refrigerator.

Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation of the drier,

Figure 4 is a view in vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 4d of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, and it Figure 6 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line t-i of Figure 5.

Referring tothe drawings by numerals, I have shown the preferred embodiment of my drier therein as applied to a well known type of reirigerator cooling system, conventionally illustrated as sufiicient for the present purposes, t designating the usual motor driven compressor having the intake valve 2 on the suction side thereof and the outlet 'valve 3 on its discharge side, 4 the condenser coil leading from the outlet valve 3 to the expansion valve 5 of the re-' ceiver tank 6, i the supply line from the expansion valve 5 to the freezing, or evaporation unit ii, and s the return line from said unit 8 to the intake valve 2. As will be understood, the return line 5 is adapted to be coupled to the intake valve 2 and uncoupled therefrom.

The drier comprises a substantially rectangular, fiat bottomed, casing Ill having an open top and provided with a pair of opposed, upstanding side edge flanges ll forming a restricted air inlet at the top of the casing for a purpose presently seen. The casing Ill is of a size, which may vary, but which renders the same readily portable and may be formed of any suitable metal. An externally threaded warm air discharge nipple I2 is fixed in one end of the casing in to extend therefrom and by means of an end flange l3 and a lamb nut I4 is fastened thereon, said nipple being spaced above the bottom of the casing. A similar inlet nipple I5 is secured in the opposite end of the casing l in alikemanner.

A heating unit is provided in the casing ID including a short cylinder l6, preferably of unglazed porcelain, said cylinder being fixed at one end of the casing ill to open into the discharge nipple l2. Screws i1 passing through an end flange 18 on the cylinder i6 secure the latter to the casing above the bottom of the same. A helical heating coil 19 surrounds the cylinder in intermediate its ends, the convolucumferential, groove 20, in said cylinder. A helical series of perforations 2| are provided in the cylinder beneath the convolutions of the coil Is. The ends of the coil l9 are connected by a pair of extensions 22 to a pair of binding posts 23 provided on the detached end of the cylinder it. A pair of leads 24 extend from the'posts 23 to a conventional socket 24' suitably secured in the end of the casing in, for plugging in a service line 25 leading from the house current or other source of electricity.

Attached at one end, as by a coupling 26, to the warm air discharge nipple i2 is a flexible suction hose line El having a coupling 23 on its other end. Similarly attached to the intake nipple i5 is a pressure lin'e hose 29 having a coupling 30 on it free end.

Referring now to the use and operation of the described invention, the cooling system is first drained in any suitable manner provided for in the system to evacuate the refrigerant therefrom. The return line 9 is uncoupled from the intake valve 2 and coupled to the pressure line 29 by means of the coupling 39. The suction line H is coupled to the intake valve 2 of the compressor by means of the coupling 28. Thus the drier is interposed in the circuit of the cooling system. The service line 25 being plugged in, the compressor l is started. As will be' readily understood, under operation of the compressor, suction is created in the line 21 to draw air into the circuit of the cooling system from the casing l0 and by way of the cylinder it, warm air discharge nipple l2 and suction line 27. As such air passes through the cylinder iii, it is heated. The heated air is forced through the circuit of the cooling system and discharged therefrom by way of the pressure line 29 and inlet nipple i5 back into the casing I0 to be again drawn into the cylinder l6 and recirculated through the cooling system. Fresh air is drawn into the easing In by way of the top thereof to mix with the discharged warm air recirculated through the system. Thus the cooling system of the refrigerator is completely dried, all moisture being completely removed therefrom.

, The foregoing will, it is believed, sumce to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible ofmodification without departing from the inventive concept, and within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with the elements of a refrigeration system including a compressor having a low and a high pressure side, respectively, an evaporatona condenser coil connected to said high pressure side and to the inlet of said evaporator, and a return line connected to the outlet of said evaporator, of apparatus for introducing warm air into said circuit comprising a casing having an air inlet in the top thereof, an air discharge and an air inlet nipple on opposite sides of the casing, respectively, a conduit forming member in said casing having one end communicating with said discharge nipple and the other end thereof opening into the interior of the casing, electrically operative means for heating said conduit, and a pair ofair lines connecting the discharge and inlet nipples to said low side of said compressor and return line, respectively.

2. The combination with the elements of a refrigeration system including a compressor having a low and a high pressure side, respectively, an evaporator, a condenser coil connected to said high pressure side and to the inlet of said evaporator, and a return line connected to the outlet of said evaporator, of apparatus for introducing warm air into said circuit comprising a casing having an air inlet in the top thereof, an air discharge and an air inlet nipple on opposite sides of the casing, respectively, a conduit forming member in said casing having one end cornmunicating with said discharge nipple and the other end thereof opening into the interior of the casing, and means to electrically heat said conduit comprising a heating coil surrounding said member, and a convolute series of perfora= tions in said member underlying the convolutions of said coil.

GLEN C. DEAN. 

